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On May 27th, I had the privilege to fly to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with 5 other members of my church for a missions trip that lasted for one week. Upon arriving and departing the airport for our final destination in Temar, we were greeted by chaos to say the least. Driving through the streets was like playing Frogger involving humans and cars! It seemed as though everywhere we went we were greeted by kids asking for money, clothing, jewelry, shoes, and pretty much anything else visible that we owned. The only words a lot of the children knew were “give me” and “5 dollar”. Broke my heart to see that because of the circumstances, these children will grow up learning to beg to make a living rather than establishing a profession or learning a skill set.

On a cold November night, I headed out with my two-year-old son, Owen, for a little outing to the Portland Airport. It was a Friday evening and we were both ready for my husband to return home from a weeklong business trip.

When family and friends ask me to do an airport pick-up, I always park and go in to greet my loved ones, rather than just driving up to the front, taxi style. I think it’s more courteous, but I also have to admit something: I love people watching at the airport, where the careful observer can notice just about every human emotion. You can feel the anticipation of farewells and homecomings, of happy hellos and tearful goodbyes. There is stress at the airport, but there is also plenty of love.

I came across another un-human looking women’s ad while shopping on Amazon.com. When I saw it, my first reaction was that someone drowned a plastic doll. Upon clicking the ad I learned it is a person. I suppose the creators wanted a fantasy mermaid look, but to me it looks creepy. Instead of surreal the model looks unreal. Then again, for some the unreal look is what they are after.

Most people would be able to identify themselves as being a dog person or a cat person. Some channel their inner wild animal and prefer to have a rat, bird or iguana as a pet. Whichever you identify most with, the fact is: Americans love their pets. According to the 2007 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, it is estimated that there are over 70 million dogs and 81 million cats in American households. And as Americans’ love affair with their pets continues to blossom, so does the scope of veterinary care.

Sexting is weapon of choice for cheaters— New study looks at infidelity tools
By HealthDay News

A new study finds that the practice of “sexting” — sending salacious texts or nude photos over the Internet — is now a key tool for Americans bent on infidelity. Sexting, which notoriously cost former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner his job, is “alive and well,” said sociologist Diane Kholos Wysocki, the study’s lead author. In fact, she said, it’s a part of the whole extra-marital mating ritual, according to Wysocki, who said adulterous interactions that begin online seem to follow a regular pattern.

“People meet, then they send pictures, then they send naked pictures, then they proceed and ultimately meet if they find that they’re compatible,” she said.

I saw it on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC. It appears that cat barks like a dog when it is on its own but quickly changes to a more cat meow when humans are present. See below to the Cat barks like a dog video.

A 21 year old man is being charged by Portland police with posing as a fake doctor at OHSU. The fake doctor did not go into patient areas but rather conducted his scam at the OHSU coffee shop. At the coffee shop he did engage with an unknowing patient. He gave her medical advice and promised to perform her surgery. The fake doctor also encouraged her to stop taking her medication. The scheme may have been going on for two weeks. The suspect has pleaded not guilty.

The fake doctor’s plot began to unravel when the patient later went to the help desk asking for the doctor who did not exist. Investigators follow-up and discovered that fake doctor at a local hotel and in trouble for writing bad checks.

Anyone with even the remotest exposure to media in 2004 was aware of the “wardrobe malfunction” of the Superbowl XXXVIII halftime show aired live with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. The next couple years, speculation persisted over whether repeated incidents of Britney Spears going commando in short skirts were accidentally caught by the camera or a calculated ploy for attention.

A classic paparazzi shot from the previous generation captured the scornful gaze of Sophia Loren at Jane Mansfield spilling out of her low-cut dress. Though Lady Godiva could be defined as a wardrobe omission rather than a malfunction, such unexpected sightings of the fleshsustain interest.

Any grammar guide or writing handbook will tell you that clichés are bad. Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines a cliché as “a trite phrase or expression.” A former professor of mine was especially fond of telling his students to “avoid clichés like the plague.” Clichés are unoriginal, overused and often corny. But I’m not here to jump on the anti-cliché bandwagon. That would be, well, so cliché.

In writing, clichés often fail. Yet, when speaking, the right cliché can help us express what we really mean. Because clichés are so familiar and we share their meanings with others, they help us save words, and time. Why beat around the bush when you can hit the nail on the head with a perfect cliché?

Hair theft is on the rise in America and around the world.
By Evergreen,
Oregon writer

I was humored and puzzled by the news recently of a 24 year old woman in Brazil who had her hair stolen by a thief. She was at a bus stop when a man approached her and cut her hair off. It was stated that her hair was a choice value because it was “virgin” and not chemically treated. This made her hair valuable to be sold for a wig. After explaining to her local pastor why her hair was short she then felt compelled to report the matter to local police.